At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic back in March of 2020, businesses around the country had to make difficult decisions to have a major economic effect on stores, theatres, and restaurants. Patrick’s Grille found itself in this situation we have all too often heard of over this past year: The La Porte restaurant was forced to lay off a portion of its staff.
“When Governor Eric Holcomb ordered all Indiana restaurants to shut down back in March, we had to make the decision to lay off our staff,” said Julie Krause, Events and Catering Manager at Patrick’s Grille. “We decided we would operate through our managerial staff during that time.”
But the restaurant and its managerial staff, a tight-knit family through and through, began a pool for its laid-off staff. For every sale made at Patrick’s Grille, which operated through take-out only, 10% was donated to staff, along with any gratuity from customers.
When unemployment benefits were raised to $600, managers at Patrick’s Grille once again made it their focus to prioritize those who would not be able to receive those benefits, directing the money from sales and tips to them and offering some hours at the restaurant throughout the week.
“The hardest call we had to make was telling our staff that they were indefinitely laid-off until things settled down,” Krause said. “So, it was our priority to make sure that our staff members financially make it through this.”
Their safety, along with the safety of customers, was also at the top of their list. After reopening for a short period of time, Patrick’s Grille decided to go back to curbside service to do their part in stopping the spread of the virus.
“We have a more mature clientele, so ensuring their safety and the safety of our staff was very important to us,” Krause said. “I’m on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce, and in a meeting where there were other business owners and hospital operators, I was just alarmed at how many cases there were. Hospitals were at capacity, and still are, so we knew that we had to do our part to slow this down.”
Casandra Timm, who has been working at Patrick’s Grille since it opened over five years ago and has been in almost every role from hostess to kitchen staff to serving, praised what Patrick’s Grille and its managerial staff has done over the past year.
“Patrick [Wilson] has not only thought of the economy during this time, he’s also thought of us,” said Timm, who has stepped into a manager role at the restaurant during the pandemic. “He has made sure we are safe, and we are doing all the protocols to keep everyone safe.”
“They made the choice to go back to curbside so that we didn’t shut down completely and those of us who needed the hours were at least getting some,” Timm said. “That was a big decision.”
Timm noted that the restaurant even began directing some money made from sales and tips to the kitchen staff to support them as well.
“No one is selfish here,” Timm said. “We’re all a family. We really came together during this time and showed that we’re here for each other.”
Patrick’s Grille is making plans to reopen its doors to the public soon. For more updates on reopening, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/patricksgrille. For their curbside menu, including their famous Weekly Features menu, and updated hours, visit their website at http://www.patricksgrille.com/.
